Holder device for matched earrings



Sept. 22, 1959 P. MUNAO Em 2,905,328

HOLDER DEVICE FOR MATCHED EARRINGS Filed June 28, 1956 INVENTORs. PHILIPM N i BY CHRMELO C-Muunu tet j 2,905,328 Patented Sept. 22,, 19592,905,328 HOLDER DEVICE FOR MATCHED "EARRINGS PhilipMunao audCarmeloC..Munao, Brooklyn, N.Y. Application June "28, 1956, Serial No. 594,6151 Claim. :(Cl. ill- 13) This invention relatesto a device for holding atleast one pair of matched earrings.

Most usually, earrings are loosely lcept in a jewel box or'othercontainer, and tend to become freely intermixed. As a result, when onedesires to use a particular pair-of earrings, it is necessary to searchthrough an accumulation of earrings, disposed in a haphazard arrangementwithin the container. Often, when one earring is found, it becomes'difiicul-t to find the other. Further, the earrings tend to becomeentangled with one another, and must be disentangled before use. This istrue even of a single pair of earrings.

In view of the above, the main object of the present invention is toprovide a device that will be adapted to hold the earrings of a pairtogether, so that it will not be necessary to search for one earring,and then make .a further search for the other earring .of the same.pair, .the invention further being adapted to so hold the earrings ofeach pair as to prevent them from becoming entangled with one another.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described thatwill be so designed as to facilitate its engagement with ordisengagement from the matched earrings.

Another object is to provide a holder for matched earrings that will bevery inexpensively constructed, so as to be capable of manufacture at acost so low as to justify fully the commercial feasibility thereof.

Yet another object is to provide a holder for matched earrings which, inat least one form of the invention, will include a stand on which aplurality of the holders can be supported in spaced relation, with eachholder being adapted to .hold a different pair of earrings. In this way,it is proposed to maintain the several earrings out of contact not onlywith one another, but also out of contact with the 'walls or othersurfaces of containers, that might otherwise tend to mar or damage theearrings.

Yet another object of importance is to provide a holder of the characterdescribed that will be adapted to hold any conventional earrings of thelobe-clamping type, regardless of the particular ornamental shape orsize of the earrings.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stand for holding a plurality ofearring holders, the stand embodying one form of the invention and shownsupporting a single holder with earrings supported thereon.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified type of stand, on which ispositioned another type of holder.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, detail section on line 4-4 of of as :shown inFig. 'l.

2 Fig. 3, the dotted lines showing the holder during the process ofdetachment thereof from the stand.

Fig. 5 is aperspective view ofanother modification of the stand, showingaplurality of dilferent types of holders of a "single set supportedthereon.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 5, the dotted linesshowing earrings supported upon the several holders.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in Fig. 1 there .is shown a firstform of stand generally designated 100 for supporting apluralityofholders for earrings. One type of earring holder is shown mounted onthe stand. The earring holder comprises a single length of spring wirematerial shaped intermediate its ends with an arcuate intermediateportion 88 curving through substantially more than 1 of a circle. At itsopposite ends, the intermediate portion merges into oppositely, inwardlybowed clamping portions 90, and these in turn merge into straight endportions 92 formed at their outer ends with inwardly extending,elongated loops 94 having free ends '96 curving outwardly from the endportions 92 and normally contacting the end portions 92 at the locations.98. The earrings 18 are engaged in the loops 94, thus being spaced ap-art so as to prevent their entanglement with each other.

The stand 1'00 can be formed of metal, plastic or any other suitablematerial and includes an elongated, fiat, rectangular base 102. Adjacentopposite ends of the base vertical legs 104 are rigidly secured thereto,said legs being of elliptical cross section and being integral orotherwise made rigid at their upper ends with the opposite ends of anelongated, horizontally extending support bar 106 also of ellipticalcross section.

'The formation of the support bar 106 to an elliptical cross sectionpermits said bar to be clampably engaged by and between the clampingportions as shown in Fig. 2, with the arcua'te intermediate portion 88of the holder straddling the support bar. The elliptical cross sectionof the support bar defines, below the center point thereof, downwardlyconvergent .side surfaces, due to the shape of the support bar in crosssection, and the inwardly bowed clamping portions are adapted to engageagainst said surfaces, due to the inherent resiliency of the springwirematerial, .thus to hold the holder upon the support bar in positionextending transversely there- The end portions 92 are thus maintained ina horizontal position, with the earrings at opposite sides of thesupport bar.

It will be understood that a plurality of the holders of Fig. 1 can bemounted upon a single support bar 106, being spaced apart upon thelength of the support bar any desired distance, sufficient to prevententanglement of the supported earrings.

By reason of this arrangement, the several pairs of earrings aresupported out of contact with each other and also out of contact withthe walls of a jewel box or the container, thus preventing scratching orother damage to the earrings. Further, the earrings are conspicuouslylocated so that a selected pair can be found immediately, with theearrings of each pair being spaced not only from the earrings of theseveral other pairs, but also from each other. Any earring can beremoved without disturbing any other earring or holder, and, of course,a substantial number of the holders can be positioned upon a singlestand. The holders can be spread longitudinally of the support bar, andin each position to which they are slidably adjustable frictionallyengage the support bar to hold the adjustment.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a modified type of stand generally designated at 108 isillustrated. This could include the fiat base of Fig. 1. However, asshown, the stand 108 may be provided with a base comprising flat discs108', respectively integral or otherwise made rigid with the lower endsof the vertical legs 110 of rectangular cross section. Legs 110 at theirupper ends are integral with the opposite ends of a horizontallydisposed, elongated support bar 112 also of rectangular cross section(see Fig. 4). t

A modified holder is shown in position upon the stand 108, and comprisesa single length of fiat spring material shaped to include a clampingportion 114 of inverted U-shape medially between its ends. The portion114, by reason of the inherent springability of the length of material,straddles and frictionally binds against the support bar 112. At itsopopsite ends, the clamping portion 114 is integral with oppositelyextending; elongated, straight end portions 116 having loops 118 attheir opposite ends similar to the loops 94.

Due to the construction illustrated, one can readily remove one of theholders by lifting upwardly on one of the end portions .116, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 4. This elevates the bight portion, disengaging theclamping portion from one side of the support bar 112 by rocking of theclamping portion upwardly upon the support bar to fully disengage thesame from the support bar.

In Figs. and 6 there is shown another modified stand, generallydesignated at 120. This includes a fiat base 122 integrally adjacent itsopposite ends with upstanding legs 124, the legs 124 being integral withopposite ends of an elongated support bar 126 of rectangular crosssection. Formed in the opposite side surfaces of the support bar 126 areregularly spaced indentations 128. v

The stand 120 is adapted to support a plurality of holders 130, 132,.134. In the illustrated example two sets of holders are shown, each setcomprising one holder 130, a holder 132, and a holder 134, with theholder 132 disposed between the holders 130, 134.

The holders are all'formed from single lengths of spring wire material,and include clamping portions 136, 138, 140 of inverted U-shape, thelegs of which extend downwardly along opposite sides of the support bar126 and terminate at their lower ends in inwardly pressed lug portions142, 144, 146, respectively. Extending outwardly from the lug portionsare elongated, straight arms 148, 150, 1152 terminating at their freeends in upwardly turned hooks or open loops 154, 156, 158.

The holders 130, 132, 134 of each set are alike execpt for the angle oftheir arms 148,150, 152 relative to one another. The arms 148 of holder130 diverge in a downward direction, at a substantial angle from thehorizontal as shown in Fig.6. The arms 150 of the holder 132 alsodiverge downwardly, but at a much shallower angle from the horizontal.The arms 152 of holder 134 are disposed horizontally.

By reason of this arrangement, the several holders are capable of beingmounted closely from one another, to permit a maximum number of holderson a single stand. At the same time, however, due to the differentdirections in which the support arms thereof extend, the supportedearrings 160, 162, 164 will be maintained out of contact with eachother, so as not to be entangled despite the fact that .they may be of awidth that would ordinarily require a greater spacing of the holdersfrom each other. Thus, a substantial number of earrings can be supportedon a single stand, in pairs of matched earrings, with the earrings ofeach pair carried by a single holder. Any pair of earrings can bepositioned upon the holders or removed without interfering with or beinginterfered with by any other adjacent pair.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent A display device for supportingmatched earrings in spaced, separate array, comprising a stand includinga horizontal bar, a plurality of holders carried by said bar, each ofsaid holders comprising an elongated length of strip material shaped tosupport a pair of earrings, said stand including legs extendingdownwardly from opposite ends of the horizontal bar, means at the lowerends of the legs providing a base for the stand, said horizontal barbeing rectangular in cross section, each of said holders having aninverted rectangular U-shaped portion embracing the horizontal bar andheld against rotation thereon by said U-shaped portion, each holderhaving elongated arms extending outwardly and downwardly in differentangularly spaced directions at opposite sides of the bar, said armshaving upwardly turned outer extremities for engaging said earrings atouter ends of the respective arms, the bar-embracing portion of eachholder including inwardly bowed side portions and being springablytensioned to exert a clamping pressure against opposite sides of thehorizontal bar, said bar having longitudinally spaced indentationsreceiving said inwardly bowed side portions and preventing longitudinaland transverse movement of the holders on the bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS126,499 Streeter May 7, 1872 928,006 Thomas July 13, 1909 1,069,171Phillips Aug. 5, 1913 1,089,882 Thomas Mar. 10, 1914 1,638,651 Bain Aug.9, 1927 1,663,176 Reyher Mar. 20, 1928 2,022,158 Smith Nov. 26, 19352,456,622 Clark Dec. 21, 1948 2,682,956 Pike July 6, 1954

